Walls of Sand

“Walls of Sand,” directed by Erica Jordan, is notable for being the first contemporary feature film to be available in its entirety on the internet. The story follows a unique friendship between an Iranian student struggling to get a green card (played by Shirin Etessam, who co-wrote and co-produced the film) and an agoraphobic mother locked in a bitter custody battle. Ms. Jordan shot the film in a moody black-and-white, reflecting the monochromatic worlds of its leading characters, and carefully charted their growing common bond which eventually liberated the women from their respective emotional prisons.